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Commodore User Issue 4 Reviews
Reviews from the magazine Commodore User Issue 4 Attack of the Mutant Camels Version - C64 Publisher - Llamasoft Reviewer - J D Collins Llamasoft is famed for fast arcade action which pushed the Vic to the limits of its capabilities. Attack of the Mutant Camels is one of its first CBM 64 offerings: and it continues the tradition of a skillfully-designed machine-code game requiring fast reflexes and precision joystick control. You are the pilot of a highly manoeuvrable spacecraft and your mission is to shoot at a row of six huge camels slowly trundling across a mountainous terrain. The camels are however, protected by a force field and it takes many hits at relatively close range to destroy them. As hits accumulate the camels change colour before finally disappearing in a flash of iridescence. The camels must be destroyed before they reach the end of your patrol sector, otherwise it's curtains for you! The progress of camels can be monitored on a small radar scanner. To make life difficult - and who really wants an easy life, anyway? - the camels fire two types of bomb at you, the first of which is not too lethal (it takes four hits to kill). But the Type Two bomb homes in accurately and the first hit is deadly. Violent manoeuvres are required to avoid these hazards. If you do succeed in clearing the camels your reward is - yes, you guessed it - a trip through hyperspace to meet yet another six camels etc. etc. The graphics and sound are good and many extra features are present such as selectable skill level, one/two player options and an even more difficult version where collision with a camel is fatal. Excellent for camel/llama freaks and arcade action enthusiasts. © Paradox Group Balloon Rescue Version - C64 Publisher - Alligata Reviewer - Bohdan Buciak Alligata suggests this game is suitable for six-year-olds. But why should the tiny tots have all the fun? This is a skillful and probably addictive game. You don't use the usual joystick, but three keys which control the upward and sideways movement of your fast-sinking balloon. Your job is to pilot the balloon towards fuel canisters, picking them up so that you can proceed. There are eight cannisters, most of them in pretty inaccessible places. Graphics and sound are reasonable but the game's major plus point is the degree of sensitivity of the keys. Don't be put off by the age recommendation - there's fun here for people longer in the tooth. © Paradox Group Bat Attack Version - C64 Publisher - Alligata Reviewer - Bohdan Buciak Nothing new or original here. Your spaceship shoots at swarms of armed bats which fire back at you. Having got rid of them, you evade a surge of flying doughnut bars (that's how the bumf describes them, anyway). Admittedly, this game's intended for nine-year-olds: and it is pretty difficult, even at the first level. But that shouldn't trouble those of you who trained in the arcades. You use keys instead of a joystick too makes a change. © Paradox Group Blue Moon Version - C64 Publisher - Merlin Software Reviewer - Bohdan Buciak A well-worn scenario with a couple of extensions: spacecraft rescues sister-ship from alien planet, taking it back to safety on the Blue Moon (all to the strains of the original tune). This is an unashamed zapping game, but with a few differences. There are five stages; each one involves different hazards, from comet storms to the nasty Tecom. It all helps to relieve the monotony - there are 15 levels of skill too. Despite the fire-button approach, there are a couple of stages that need skill and concentration. At the beginning you must dock the two parts of your ship before carrying on. If you reach the end, you must land on one of the three landing pads, involving three degrees of difficulty. There's a nice final touch; a flag comes up heralded by another tune. It's fun... but maybe not riveting. © Paradox Group California Gold Rush Version - C64 Publisher - Anik Microsystems Reviewer - Paul Roper & Wendy Greaves This game is not particularly original in concept but is well presented and fairly entertaining. The screen depicts a maze which represents different-sized plots in a gold field: by manoeuvring your miner around the field, fences are built and once a plot is totally surrounded it is filled with sacks of gold and points awarded accordingly. The larger the plot surrounded, the greater is the score given. To hinder you in this task two Red Indians chase the miner, demolishing fences, scalping if they can catch him - all to the sound of distant tomtoms. If you persevere and succeed staking out the whole of the gold field, another maze is presented. At higher levels, more than two Indians join in the chase (maximum of five). Finally, beyond level 12 the Indians shoot arrows and the task of surviving becomes somewhat difficult to say at least. The skill level is preselectable, as indeed is a one player/two player option. Sound, colour and graphics are all good for this game; and the new name of Anik Microsystems could well become established if this quality keeps up. © Paradox Group Dots & Boxes Version - C64 Publisher - A.R. Software Reviewer - Paul Roper & Wendy Greaves An excellent chance to pit your wits against the computer! Once the program has loaded - and there's plenty of time whilst loading to make a quick cup of tea (or a vodka and tonic) - and you have read the very comprehensive instructions, the computer invites you to type in your name. Our reviewer found out why later, and is still suffering from high blood pressure when treated to a very smug message and a suggestion to take up chess after losing. The screen then displays a rectangle of dots equally spaced which have to be made into boxes. The object of the game is to make more boxes than the 64 - not as easy as you would think. A single square displayed in the bottom right corner of the screen indicates the sides of a box by numbers (8,6,4,2 for top, right side, bottom, and left side). The instruction at the top of the screen asks you which side of which square you wish to fill in. Move the joystick to the required place, and press the fire button. A line is inserted; the 64 then makes its move, and you carry on in this way until either you or the 64 are forced into a position whereby a box can be completed. Each time a box is completed its background colour changes and an initial is inserted to show who completed it. Smug messages notwithstanding, this is a good one. The graphics are excellent, as are the instructions and the design of the program. Highly recommended for those with devious minds and determination. Not recommended for those with blood pressure problems! (We would definitely appreciate hearing more from this company if they have other games of this calibre). © Paradox Group Hustler Version - C64 Publisher - Bubble Bus Reviewer - Paul Roper & Wendy Greaves Fans of Ray Reardon and Steve Davis will enjoy this version of the popular pool arcade game. Six game variants are provided, ranging from simple potting up to two-player games such as minipool. Six coloured balls are shown on the table plus a white cue ball. The game is played by moving a cursor with the joystick until it is situated at the point on the ball you have chosen at which you intend to aim the cue ball. The strength of the shot is adjusted by watching a moving scale and pressing the fire button at the required point. This game is immense fun and in one reviewer's household caused fights amongst children and adults alike for possession of the joystick. The graphics and colour are superb and the sound effects are very good. The sound of a ball bouncing off the cushion is very realistic (the sound of balls colliding could possibly be improved - a minor point really). Movement is fast and smooth but we suspect that liberties have been taken in interpreting Newton's law on linear momentum conservation (Dictionary for breakfast again, I see - Ed). Thoroughly recommended. © Paradox Group International Football Version - C64 Publisher - Commodore Reviewer - Bohdan Buciak You've always known there must be something better than blow football or Subbuteo - well, it's arrived. Commodore's Soccer is no less than a brilliant game with brilliant use of graphics, colour and remarkable player manoeuvrability. You can play an opponent or the computer itself. In this mode, there are 9 levels of difficulty. The first gives you the skills of Brazil waltzing round the likes of Accrington Stanley; in level 9 you probably won't see much of the ball at all. Of course, in playing an opponent the skill levels are equally matched. Each team has about five players. But it's difficult to count them as they're constantly on the move, marking, getting into space, rushing back to help the defence - what a workrate! Only one player on each team is under joystick control; he's either on the ball or nearest to it. Pressing the button makes him kick it (he won't kick an opponent though; this is a nice clean game). When the ball's in space, the player nearest it from both teams becomes controllable - they stand out by having a lighter strip. The goalkeeper can be controlled too; he dives at the press of a button. But commit him too early and he's left sprawling and helpless like a beached whale. Great fun! A great deal of attention has been paid to detail; both teams canter on to the field at the beginning, there's a half-time period, throw-ins, dead-ball kicks, referee's whistle. Best of all, the fans cheer when a player scores - no kissing and hugging of scorer though. And then at the end... but that would be telling. Only one gripe, the two halves just aren't long enough and there's no facility for extra time. Great game! © Paradox Group Purple Turtles Version - C64 Publisher - Quicksilva Reviewer - Paul Roper & Wendy Greaves Quicksilva games have a good reputation, and this keeps it up. Your objective is to get across the river to pick fruit on the other side. To do this you use the rare Purpilioius Tortilious as stepping stones. However, the KPT has a nasty habit of suddenly sinking to the bottom of the river when least expected, and you may consequently end up in the drink. The PT then floats back up to the surface. Once you reach the other side of the river, you collect your fruit (which change as the skill levels go up), and then make your wary way back across by the same route. Each time you return successfully laden, an owl in the tree behind you gobbles the fruit and squawks for more. So off you go again. Life not being as simple as one would wish, the turtles start to sink two at a time as the skill levels go up, thus making your crossing infinitely more dangerous, and much wetter if you miss. However, there are no man-eating nasties lurking below the surface, so one must be grateful for small mercies. This is a well thought out program with superb graphics, colour and sound. Very simple to play: but very highly recommended. © Paradox Group Quintic Warrior Version - C64 Publisher - Quicksilva Reviewer - Paul Roper & Wendy Greaves Space games are the most numerous of arcade-derived programs for home computers. Quintic Warrior is a complex game based loosely on Space Invaders; joystick controls spacecraft hurtling around the screen to stem the relentless advance of multicoloured nasties. They do not shoot back, but you do have to contend with the X-Y zappers (somewhat akin to Llamasoft's Gridrunner) and if you get caught in the intersection of the two laser beams - Kapow! As the game progresses additional menaces appear at the edge of the screen firing rockets at you. Confused? Then don't rely on the instructions which are inadequate and annoyingly provided on the screen rather than on the cassette packaging. Still, the action is fast and furious, the graphics are very good and the skill level selectable. Quintic Warrior will definitely appeal to space game enthusiasts. © Paradox Group Snooker Version - C64 Publisher - Visions Reviewer - Bohdan Buciak Even Steve Davis (who appeared at the recent launch of Visons) didn't manage a respectable shot on this game: ''Snooker ''is very realistic and consequently rather difficult. It follows the real game almost to the letter so there's no need to explain it. Cueing is done by means of a cross which you position in the direction you want the cueball to go. Holding down the fire-button increases the power of the shot. You can use spin but you can't do trick shots like kangerooing or bending. Progress through the colours is like the real game. But there are are a few differences: you can delete any of the balls and the sequence of colours comes up automatically when all the reds are down. The game shows good use of colour and sound; the background can be changed for better ball definition, and the sound of clunking balls is reasonably authentic. One gripe is the irritating jingle you hear after a pot or foul stroke. This game's probably got lasting value if you're not put off by an initial lack of potting prowess. © Paradox Group